The Phantom Spirit of Skyia
by Shiro Yuki-sama
Summary: Two thieves in search of the same gem. The first to avenge a lost loved one. The other to redeem himself and fix a broken promise. Competing with an organization shrouded in darkness; will they emerge victorious, or be swallowed by the shadows?
1. Prologue

""Kaitou Phantom strikes again!"" A spiky-haired male teen read aloud, right before the newspaper he was reading was snatched out of his hands.

"Mou, Kaito, you shouldn't read newspapers in class!" A long-haired girl reprimanded, her bangs almost as unruly as Kaito's.

"But Aoko! Class hasn't even started yet!" Kaito whined. The newspaper disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear in his hands. ""Like the last few thefts, a tarot card was left in place of the stolen jewel. However, unlike the others, a calling card, similar to on Kaitou KID would send, was also left with it."" _Hmm... So this new thief has gotten a bit more confidence... _""The police are still attempting to solve the riddle, along with the one Kaitou KID sent yesterday."" _I almost feel bad for keibu-san, having to solve two thieves' riddles at the same time._

"Hmph!" Aoko exclaimed indignantly, "Another stupid thief is going to try to feed his overgrown ego, how annoying!" _Then again, if his daughter is acting like this, I bet it would be pretty funny to see Nakamori-keibu's face right about now. Hehe_...

"You needn't worry Nakamori-san," A distinctly British student commented as he walked towards the conversing pair, "Phantom' is probably an overconfident thief with no real talent. He will most likely be caught once his riddle is deciphered." He stated calmly, making it quite obvious to his observant quarry (Kaito) that he would not be diverting his attention from Kaitou KID for this new thief.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Hakuba-kun! Ohohoho~!" A witch-like girl with striking red hair countered.

"What do you mean, Akako?" Kaito questioned suspiciously.

"Who knows?" Akako answered back in her ever-mysterious way. With that, she walked away with that witchy laugh of hers. _That can't be a good sign... _Kaito thought. Just as this was happening, the classroom door opened, revealing the teacher.

"Alright class, get to your seats." Mrs. Hiroki said as she entered the room. "In case you were unaware, there will be a new student joining us tomorrow, so I _hope _that you welcome them kindly." As she added this, she glared at Kaito.

In response, he simply gained a large grin.


	2. Chapter 1 The Beginning

**Chapter 1 ~ The Beginning**

**~After School~**

"Akako!" Kaito called out after her, catching up as they left school.

"Whatever do you need, Kuroba-san?" Akako inquired with an all-knowing smirk.

"You never answered my question." He pointed out bluntly.

"What question?" She retorted, seeming quite entertained.

"When I asked 'what did you mean?' about Phantom not being overconfident and easily caught." He continued to question, hiding his irritation behind a remarkable poker face.

"Ara, is the _great_ Kaitou KID worried about his potential competition?"

"How many times do I have to tell you: I am NOT Kaitou KID!" Kaito said, letting some of his irritation show through, "And I doubt KID even _considers_ 'Phantom' as competition." He added with dignity.

"Well then, perhaps you should," Akako responded, ignoring Kaito's denial, "He is quite powerful. Ohoho~!

"What, is he some kind of wizard?" Kaito asked sarcastically. In reply, Akako simply smirked. Catching this expression, Kaito opened his mouth to question Akako when -

"What are you talking to Akako about, Kaito?" Aoko unintentionally interrupted.

"Ohoho~!" Akako cackled, leaving the duo in favor of her sla- I mean admirers.

"What was that about?" Aoko asked Kaito in confusion.

"It was nothing Aoko, just Akako being weird." Kaito replied calmly as he started walking in the direction of their houses.

"Okay then..." Aoko replied uncertainly. "Anyway, during lunch I called my dad to check in on him and guess what he said." Aoko added in an grumpy tone.

"That he decided to quit chasing Kaitou KID?" Kaito guessed jokingly.

"No!" She replied angrily, "Just for that I'm not going to tell you!"

"Oh come on Aoko!" Kaito whined, "Your dad is the head of the KID taskforce, if he knows something I need to know what it is!" He finished with a kicked-puppy face.

"Oh... Alright..." Aoko relented, "Dad said that after translating both of the thieves' notices it seems that they both point to the Hiroshi Museum at midnight, targeting the grey sapphire."

"Really?" Kaito asked, genuinely surprised, "Does that mean Phantom is going to intentionally steal KID's target, or did he just happen to have the same target?" Kaito mumbled mostly to himself.

"Maybe they'll get so over-involved in fighting each other over the gem they'll both get caught!" Aoko exclaimed happily.

"Kaitou KID will never be caught!" Kaito roared defensively, "Especially not by your dad." He added mockingly.

"You're only saying that because you're his biggest fan, BaKaito!" Aoko snapped.

"No, I'm just stating a fact, Ahoko!" Kaito retorted, "By the way pink is a really great color for you!" Kaito added as he with a smirk before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Wha?" Aoko uttered in confusion, only for understanding to dawn on her, "BAKAITOOO!"

The only response to her bellow was laughter from far off.

* * *

><p>~<strong>Hiroshi Museum, Night~<strong>

_So, Phantom decided to try to steal my target, huh? _Kaito thought as he landed soundlessly on the museum roof, _Well, it will certainly make this heist a bit more interesting..._ He started moving toward the door leading into the building only for it to quietly glide open when he was four feet from it.

"There you are, Kaitou KID." Came the suave voice of the person who opened the door.

"Who are you?" Kaito asked, hiding his uncertainty behind his poker face.

"I go by the name Phantom, surely you have heard of me..."


	3. Chapter 2 Stolen Meetings

**Chapter 2 ~ Stolen Meeting**

"I go by the name Phantom, surely you have heard of me..." Phantom stated calmly as he sauntered toward Kaito.

Getting a good look at his... uniform... Kaito raised an eyebrow, attempting to hide his amusement, "Whoa, talk about old fashioned." He commented quirkily, "Where'd you get that outfit, Oldies 'R' Us?" Kaito stifled a chuckle.

"Despite being slightly taken aback, Phantom countered, "And what of yourself? Did you accidentally bleach your father's business suit, child?"

At this Kaito was quite shocked, considering it _is_ his father's suit - and he is still quite young - , but hid it under his poker face, "And what about that cane? How can you be a great thief if you can't even walk on your own?"

Phantom rolled his eyes at his quarry's foolishness, "I did not send a notice for no reason, you know." He avowed casually.

Quickly subsiding in his observations, Kaito inquired, "And what reason would you have to send a heist note?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't for the police to know I would be here." Phantom affirmed.

Piecing together his meaning, Kaito asked for assurance, "You mean, you wanted me to know you would be here?"

Phantom smirked and gave a slight nod.

"Why?" Kaito requested.

"In order for you to be prepared for the consequences and benefits of meeting me, Kuroba-san." Phantom declared.

_Kuroba? Did he know oyaji? _Kaito thought in shock, but hid his feelings as well as he could "Last I checked I was called Kaitou KID, Phantom-san"

Unfortunately for Kaito, Phantom is remarkable at reading body language, "Perhaps in costume, but you should know your real name without question, should you not? Kuroba Kaito-san" Phantom nonchalantly confirmed Kaito's fears with a smirk.

If it were not for his poker face, Kaito would be hyperventilating at this point. _If he works for Snake, his must intend to kill me! I need to get out of here!_

"You need not worry, KID-san." Phantom reassured the frightened Kaito, "Who knows, perhaps we can work together and I'll tell you my identity...?" He continued in a hopeful tone with a small smile.

_If he wasn't a professional thief that knew my identity I would have fallen for that without a doubt... As it is, I find it hard to see any sign of deception..._

As Kaito looked for subtle hints of falsehood, Phantom's face grew amused, "Well, I do believe it is about time for me to take my leave." Phantom declared, showing the grey sapphire to Kaito before disappearing into an explosion of tarot cards.

"Wai-!" Kaito called out in attempt to stop him. _Damn... _*sigh*_ Phantom huh... He seemed... interesting... I would hate to have him as an enemy. And he might be just that... _Kaito thought, _Well, since he has the grey sapphire there's really no point to me sticking around. _At that, he moved toward the roof edge and prepared to take off.

"Kaitou KID!" Hakuba roared as he wrenched the door open and reached the roof.

Turning around to face Hakuba with a poker face, "Ah, tantei-san, what a pleasant surprise!" He responded with a maniac grin.

"I believe you gave the taskforce, your audience, and even myself quite a surprise this evening as well." Hakuba acknowledged while catching his breath.

"Whatever do you mean, tantei-san?" Kaito countered, tilting his head in curiousity.

"You didn't steal the grey sapphire in a flashy way, so I'm led to assume the Phantom stole it already." Hakuba said matter-of-factly.

"Mmmm... Yeah, he just left." Kaito confirmed, "I think he heard you coming up here..." He added thoughtfully. _He either has a sixth sense or really good hearing._

"I find it hard to believe you let him go with the sapphire so easily..." Hakuba subtly inquired.

"Well, I would have tried to get it," Kaito responded to the unspoken question, "had I known he had it before he disappeared."

"I take it you had a little chat then." Hakuba thought aloud, raising an eyebrow at the implications of such a thing happening. _Kaito wouldn't team up with Phantom, would he?_

"Yep!" Kaito affirmed with his maniac grin resurfacing, "He talks and dresses really weird too, you should 'a seen him!" He made the addition of as an after-thought with a chuckle.

Hakuba's only response was a dead-pan stare that said 'Look who's talking'.

"KAITOU KID!" Nakamori Ginzo bellowed as he reached the roof-top.

"It was nice talking with you, tantei-san, but I really must get going." Kaito declared as he jumped off the roof.

Just as Kaito disappeared from sight, the rest of the taskforce piled onto the roof. Hakuba heaved a sigh in frustration, "Well this is just grand," He declared, "Now we probably won't get the grey sapphire back, plus Phantom and Kaitou KID met! This could be bad for us..." With that, he tread heavily back down the stairs to the roof.

"Eh?" Nakamori exclaimed oh-so-intelligently as he turned to follow Hakuba, "What do you mean by that?"

"Phantom stole the grey sapphire and apparently had a bit of a discussion with KID before leaving." Hakuba recapped for Nakamori's convenience.

"You mean, Phantom showed up after all?" Nakamori probed curiously, having believed Phantom chickened out.

"According to KID he was, and what reason would he have to lie about that?" Hakuba confirmed matter-of-factly.

"This might be difficult to deal with..." Nakamori vocalized his thoughts.

_My thoughts exactly..._ Hakuba inwardly agreed.


	4. Chapter 3 School Days

**Chapter 3 ~ School Days**

**~The day after the Heist~**

""Phantom and Kaitou KID met?!"" Kaito read aloud. _I wonder how the press got a hold of that... I can't imagine Hakuba telling them. _He thought, glancing at Hakuba, _And I would think he would have told keibu-san not to tell them... But he _is _Aoko's dad, he probably wouldn't listen anyways._ Having solved that mystery, Kaito went back to his newspaper, ""The grey sapphire, which had been switched for a fake last night, was discovered to be returned to its display case this morning with a tarot card and a note : 'We would not want the Moonlight Magician to get a bad reputation for not returning this, now would we? ~Phantom'."" _So he returned it for me. I wonder if I should thank him next time I see him...?_

"Kaitou KID already _has _a bad reputation!" Aoko interjected indignantly, "He _is _a thief, after all!"

"As true as that may be," Hakuba interjected reasonably, "not returning a jewel he stole is very much unlike Kaitou KID. Perhaps there is such a thing as 'Honor Among Thieves', hmm...?" He added in mock thoughtfulness, glancing pointedly at Kaito.

"Maybe Phantom and KID will become partners and best you and the taskforce twice as easily!" Kaito observed cheerfully, shooting a glare at Hakuba in return with a look that promised pranks. _Moreover, he already offered me a partnership. _He contemplated in retrospect.

"Or maybe Phantom and KID will have a confrontation that ends them in prison." Hakuba countered. _Unless Kaito is already considering working with him. This will be troublesome indeed..._

Then Mrs. Hiroki walked into the classroom, "Alright class, please go to your seats quietly. As I stated yesterday, we have a new student joining us today." She announced, "Ookami-san, if you will..." She finished while gesturing for someone by the door to enter.

At Mrs. Hiroki's signal, in walked a girl with long, wavy snow-white hair that reached her calves, ending at the same point as her school uniform skirt. Her eyes were a light purple color, highlighting her mysterious and calm aura. "Atashi Ookami Yuki desu, yoroshiku." She stated in an even tone, bowing slightly as she did so.

"You can go sit next to Kaito, Ookami-san." Mrs. Hiroki instructed. Kaito took that as a signal to raise his hand to indicate his location and started to beam.

"Hi! I'm Kuroba Kaito, you can call me Kaito!" He declared cheerfully, extending his hand for a handshake.

Yuki gave Kaito a once-over, as if accessing him, "It is nice to become acquainted with you, Kuroba-san." She said with a serene smile as she returned his gesture before sitting down in her newly-assigned seat.

_Why do I feel a sensation of déjà-vu? _Kaito thought in confusion.

* * *

><p><strong>~After School~<strong>

"Kuroba." Hakuba beckoned as he caught up to the quickly retreating back of his quarry.

"What's up, Hakuba?" Kaito turned around to ask as he started walking backwards.

"You seemed lost in thought today," Hakuba acknowledged questioningly, "And since you didn't send a heist note, I was curious as to what was on your mind..." _Like your meeting with Phantom, perhaps? _He theorized in his head.

Upon hearing the implication that he was KID, again, Kaito frowned in frustration, "How many times do I have to tell you: I am NOT Kaitou KID!" Kaito said deliberately before adding, "Jeez, between you and Akako..."

"You just avoided the main topic of this discussion." Hakuba pointed out frankly.

Kaito blinked for a second before he covered the dawning realization with a grin, "I know! I was just venting!" He covered unconvincingly. _There was no way Hakuba didn't catch that. _He berated himself, "To answer your _question,_" Kaito started, emphasizing 'question' to convey that Hakuba never really asked a question, "I was just thinking of a new prank." He concluded assuredly.

Hakuba did not even attempt to hide his skepticism, "Was that really all?" _If he is so adamant on not telling me, it must have something to do with being KID. _He contemplated despairingly.

"Yep!" He affirmed happily.

Hakuba signed resignedly, "Alright, fine, I'll take your word for it... this time." He began, "But if you ever need help, if you think you are falling too far, just tell me you'll find someone you can trust." He requested decisively.

Kaito smiled forlornly, _I will, thanks. _Then his smile turned mischievous prior to him vanishing in a puff of smoke.

_I would say be safe, but you most certainly would not listen... _Hakuba deliberated wearily. With that, he went on his way.

* * *

><p><strong>Do not, I repeat, DO NOT interpret this in ANY way as a romantic gesture! Kaito and Hakuba are friendly rivals NOT ... lovers... (vomits) Not a single one of the Gosho Boys are gay, and I intend to keep it that way. *Author walks away like a load has been lifted from her shoulders*<strong>


	5. Interlude 1 A Phantom's Musings

**Interlude 1 ~ A Phantom's Musings**

**Kaitou KID, huh...**

_I do believe he would make a good partner! Don't you agree?_

**Indeed. He has quite a bit of control of his emotions, both in costume and out. Much like us...**

_Well, that's just because we are two different people. Kuroba-san has to work by himself._

**I still do not think we should trust him just yet. At least not with your identity.**

_Then how about we be partners for a while, till we trust him, and then tell him?_

**I doubt he will be satisfied with that...**

_Okay, fine, what if we tell him the 'our' real identity is female? That should work, at least until we decide to trust him._

**Hmm... Yes, I suppose that may work. However, we have yet to address the possibility that he refuses our offer.**

_What, did you forget why we hacked the school computers?_

**Of course not, nevertheless, he may not want anything to do with the new thief or his new classmate. He could always come up with some excuse to ward off any friendly advances you make.**

_What excuse could he have? He cannot really say that he has to plan for his next heist to get rid of me._

**You must realize that we are not the only master thieves in this game anymore. He surely has some way deal with random people trying to become his friends.**

_Ah... Yeah, we do the same thing quite a bit, don't we? Whatever, we are both geniuses, we'll come up with something._

**You really do not like the planning phase, do you?**

_Things such as these are meant to be discovered through experimentation! Planning it is a waste of time! ...And it ruins the fun..._

**'Things such as these' being...?**

_Human interaction, of course!_

**I suppose I cannot exactly argue with that kind of expert logic.**

_Humph! Anyway, did you see the look he gave me when we 'met'?_

**Indeed, it appeared as though he may have identified us.**

_Maybe his unconsciousness did and his consciousness is trying to figure it out...?_

**He most likely thought it was déjà vu.**

_That would make sense. It would be difficult to connect you to me in any way other than speech patterns. Not to mention the fact that you are an old man! Hehe~!_

**Where did the respect for elders go...?**

_It was frozen in ice by a black mage. It is merely a legend now._

**Oh, haha.**

_That is quite a comical joke, is it not?_

**It really is just a legend now. I am going to take a nap now, I was up all night yesterday, after all.**

_Hey, I was up because of that heist too! Don't just go and nap when I have to do research! And especially not when I'm talking to you!_ ...Jerk... I _so_ deserved that...


	6. Chapter 4 Hot Chocolate and Thieves

**Chapter 4 ~ Hot Chocolate and Thieves**

_I need to figure out what Phantom is planning. _Kaito thought resolutely, _Okay, let's just go over what I know. _He told himself in determination, pausing in the process of consuming his breakfast, _He knows my identity, but hasn't come after me. He offered to work with me, maybe even tell me his identity. But that could just be a ruse to gain my trust... But why would he want to do that? He could just -_

"Botchama..." Jii started cautiously, seemingly afraid to interrupt Kaito's thoughts.

"Huh?" Was all that Kaito uttered as he was drawn from his reflections.

"You suddenly stopped eating your breakfast..." Jii informed him warily, "is something bothering you?" He asked in curiosity, silently wishing to help his young master.

"Uh, yeah..." Kaito began uncertainly, "Its... about Phantom..." He elaborated ever so insignificantly.

Jii merely gestured for him to continue.

"Well... Uh... He kind of..." Kaito glanced at Jii watchfully, "Knowsmyidentity..." He finished hastily.

For a moment, Jii was confused, as he hadn't understood immediately, however, once realization dawned on him, his face showed his fear. "You mean... He knows Kuroba Kaito is..." He trailed of, hoping beyond hope that Kaito would say no.

Kaito nodded meekly. Unlike the Kuroba's, Jii Konosuke does not have a very good poker face, therefore, his face displayed quite clearly that he was beside himself with fear. "But... At least he doesn't seem to know Snake!" Kaito supplied in a, successful, effort to make Jii calm down a bit.

"Well, that's good..." Jii commented in a shaky voice.

_He might try to blackmail me with my identity though... I'll just have to find something to use against him. Maybe I can use his offer to team up...?_ Kaito considered silently, "Jii, can you keep an eye on his activity for me? Let me know if he sends another heist note or steals something, okay?" Kaito requested as he finished his breakfast and got up.

"Of course, Botchama. What do you intend to do today?" He inquired good-naturedly, not expecting a very effective response.

"I'm going to get some hot chocolate~!" He announced cheerfully as he left.

* * *

><p><strong>~Later~<strong>

A bell went off, signaling the door to the internet cafe opening. "Welcome!" The clerk at the counter exclaimed in an immediate response, "How may I help you, sir?"

"I was hoping to use a computer." A disguised Kaito replied. "And maybe have some hot chocolate...?"

"Of course sir, right this way." The clerk said, moving from around the counter as he did so. Kaito let himself get led to a computer next to a young man in a neat business suit. "I'll just log you in here and you can get started." After a short time, the clerk left to go prepare Kaito's hot chocolate.

Once the clerk left, Kaito got to researching Phantom; only to have his screen black out. "Uhmm... Excu-" Hello, KID. The letters appeared as though being typed from another location. Then the line showing your place when typing appeared under that.

Uh... I'm not Kaitou KID, but... may I ask who this is?

Oh please, KID, you underestimate me. Is that why you were about to do some research on me?

...Phantom?

How do you do?

What do you want? Kaito typed, visibly tensing. Then the screen went to a generic spreadsheet. "Huh?" He vocalized in bewilderment.

"Sir, your hot chocolate." The clerk said as he walked up with the cup in hand.

"Ah, thank you." Kaito responded with a small, thankful smile as he grabbed the cup.

"You are very welcome, sir." With that, the clerk went back to his counter. At the same time, the screen went back to their 'chat'.

Hot chocolate, huh? I much rather prefer English tea...

...Is that Hakuba pretending to be Phantom? Wait! How do you know that?

I was hoping you would have learned not to be surprised by my knowledge by now... And if I was Timekeeper-san, you would be in jail by now.

Timekeeper-san? Well, I guess that fits... But seriously, how do you know that?

Because I'm in an internet cafe... In a business suit.

"See?" Phantom said casually, standing up and resting an arm on the separator placed between computers.

"Phantom?!" Kaito whisper-yelled in shock.

"Hello, KID" Phantom repeated with a devilish smirk.

"How did you know I would come here?" Kaito demanded, before recalling what they had just discussed.

"I did not, actually. However, it was quite the pleasant surprise." Phantom answered evenly, his smirk becoming kinder, "Here I was, researching the mysterious phantom thief, Kaitou KID, and then he walks right into the exact same internet cafe as I."

"You were researching me? I thought you knew all about me...?" Kaito inquired distrustfully.

"I do believe we should save such a discussion for another location..." Phantom suggested while indicating the patrons and employees of the cafe.

"Ah, yeah, you're right." Kaito agreed, noticing the clerk glancing at them.

With that, Phantom got up, grabbing a briefcase as he went, paid, and left the cafe. Kaito followed suit shortly after.


End file.
